Christmas Presents and a late night adventure
by RobinLost
Summary: When Professor Ludwig comes visiting, he brings Christmas presents that are more than they seem.
1. Chapter 1

A/N I wrote this for Secret Santa, and I've decided to share it here as well.

There's a light dusting of snow as Ludwig's train pulled into the station. He adjusted his hat, straightened his coat, and grabbed hold of his suitcases.

Someone was meant to meet him at the station, and his eyes roamed for familiar white feathers, althrough he grumbled good heartedly as his eyes keep catching on white piles of snow rather than a family member.

"Uncle Ludwig! Uncle Ludwig!" A child in red yelled, waving wildly enough to knock his red hat into his eyes. The little duckling was waving cheerfully at everyone, from his position in Lulubelle's arms. Ludwig was sure he hadn't actually seen him.

Ludwig chuckled, landing on the platform with a swish of his coat.

The twins, both in sailor suits, stood either side of Hortense, her red hair tied back and tucked under her hat, a few wild locks escaping. Della seemed more interested in the hushed conversation she was having with Gladstone than watching out for him, but Donald was peering down the carriages.

Ludwig approached, weaving through the crowd, trying to keep an eye on his family, but sure enough he lost sight of them, until a young Duckling tackled him. "Uncle Ludwig! You came!"

He chuckled again, "Frohe Weihnachten Donald. Are you going to give an old duck some help?"

Donald pulled back a bit, looking up. "Do you need help?" The young duck looked concerned.

Ludwig hid his grin, and gave his nephew a playful serious look, "I've lost your Mutter," he whispered loudly, "think you could find her?"

Donald bounced in place, "She's over here!" Seizing Ludwig's coat, since his hands were occupied with luggage, and tried dragging his uncle along.

"Ma! Ma! I found him!" Donald yelled.

"Donald." Hortense sighed, "It is good to see you Ludwig."

"Ludwig!" Lulubelle pounced forward, seizing him up in a hug and squeezing. Fethry squeaked, and patted him on the face.

"Meine Familie! It is gut to be seeing you all. Die Kinder have all been growing so big!" Ludwig said. "I have something special for them."

"You brought us presents?" Della asked. Suddenly he had a ducklings attached to his coat, gazing up with hopeful eyes. "Is it a plane? I want a plane."

"Now Della." Hortense said, pulling her daughter away. "We do not demand presents."

Ludwig laughed again. "Let us hurry to the homestead, and you can open your presents. I will be wanting to see them in action!" He declared.

Della grinned, bouncing as she grabbed hold of both the boys, dragging them off towards the exit. Gladstone tossed back a look, "help!" He mouthed.

The family farm was warm and bright. The decorations were mostly hand made and heartfelt.

Ludwig was crushed in a dozen hugs as soon as he got through the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

Professor Von Drake had an audience. He always loved having an audience. And his nephews and niece always made an attentive one.

He extracted the brightly coloured box from his suitcase with a flourish.

"Now this little fellow is being for Donald." He said, and Donald dashed off the sofa to stand beside him, rocking back and forth in excitement.

"What is it?" He asked, his hands making little grabby motions.

"Why don't cha open it and see?" Ludwig asked, putting the box in his hands.

Donald tore through the wrapping paper and lifted his present out of the boy. He frowned. "It's a doll." He held it up by the leg, letting the purple cape hang down.

"Nein! It's an action figure my near boy." Ludwig righted the little fellow in Donald's hands, and stood behind his nephew. "Now you will be wanting to aim carefully. We don't want to be breaking your grandmama's best plates now, do we? Now press that button!"

Donald grumbled, but pressed the button, and a grappling hook shot out, flying across the room and hitting the wall.

Ludwig laughed nervously, hoping Elvira wouldn't notice the small dent the toy had left in her wall.

"Wow." Donald exclaimed, as the grappling hook started wheeling back in.

Ludwig patted him on the head, and pushed him back towards the sofa. "I'll let you figure out the rest."

"Thank you Uncle Ludwig!" Donald called, as three more ducklings waited on the sofa.

"Next up…" he pulled out the next box, "we have Della!"

He looked down, where Della had suddenly appeared beside him, Ludwig chuckled and discretely checked for portals, not sure how she had crossed the intervening space without him noticing.

"Here you go…" he said, as the box was snatched out his hands and paper flew everywhere. A high pitched squeal filled the air.

"A helicopter! You got me a helicopter !" Ludwig braced himself quickly as he experienced another Duck family hug, the breathe being squeezed out of him.

"And it comes with a remote control pilot!" He said breathlessly, pointing to the controller still in the box.

"Wow! It flies? It really flies?" Della asked, diving for the discarded box, setting down the toy with far more care than she had shown the box, and turning it on.

The rotor jittered to life, the small helicopter rising up by half a foot, before Della lost control and the toy spun off into a crash landing.

"The door also pops open and you can remove the pilot." Ludwig told her.

"I love it!" Della said, gathering the helicopter in her arms and running back over to her brother and cousins.

Ludwig grinned, and glanced at his other two nephews. He didn't know them as well as Donald and Della, rarely was Daphne or Matilda in Duckberg when he visited, and Fethry had stuck close to his parents previously.

"Next up, Gladstone." He declared, pulling out his third box. Gladstone regarded it curiously, but didn't seem to be as excited as his cousins. He slid up to Ludwig cautiously, more interested in watching the professor than the present.

"Here you go." Ludwig said, handing the box over. Gladstone turned it around in his hands, then carefully unwrapped it, leaving the paper unharmed and folding it up.

Gladstone gazed at the toy in confusion, removing it and placing it on the floor, and grabbing the remote control.

Gladstone tried to push the toy over, but it righted itself almost immediately. He tilted his head at it, the looked back at Lugwig. "How is it standing up right on one wheel?"

"Ah ha! That is being the beauty of the design!" Ludwig said, "It is weighted so that should he be falling over, the little fellow will spring back into action! You'll have to be pretty rough to get this guy to stay down!"

Gladstone hummed, and looked back at the toy. He gently pressed the controller's joystick and the toy rolled forward. Gladstone nodded. "Thank you Uncle Ludwig." He said politely, putting the toy back in the box and darting back to his cousins waiting on the sofa.

Little Fethry was almost vibrating in excitement.

"And last, but certainly never being of the least, I be having a present for Fethry…" Ludwig dug through the suitcase, looking for the bright red box he had packed. "I know it is being in here somewhere... ah ha!"

He turned around, and almost knocked down his youngest nephew.

"Mine?"

"Ah, ja. Yours." He handed the box over and watched as Fethry lit up.

Unlike his cousins, Fethry struggled with the wrapping, and Ludwig had to clasp his hands behind his back to prevent himself from helping. Fethry stuck his tongue out in an adorable manner.

Little bits of wrapping paper was getting everywhere. Then finally revealed the present.

There was a measure of uncertainty in Fethry's eyes, a nervous considering look as he pulled the doll (action figure!) out of the box.

"It lights up." Ludwig said, pointing to the buttons.

Fethry nodded, turning the toy over in his hands, regarding it from all angles, before pressing one of the buttons. The light bulb on top the toy's head lit up and started cycling through colours.

Fethry hugged the toy to his chest. "Thank you Uncle professor!" And ran back to his cousins.

"Now kinder, let me know if you be having any problems, these are one of a kind, and I don't want you thinking just anyone can fix them! You're going to be our testers! And make sure everything be working well before die other kinder play."

"We know Professor!" Della and Donald chorused.

"Gut! Now have fun."


	3. Chapter 3

Choo choo! Citizen Ivan fell over the train tracks, the Christmas express bearing down on him.

"There's nothing to fear! Darkwing Duck is here!" Donald yelled, aiming the grappling hook at the light fixtures, and swinging his toy towards the doll on the tracks.

Darkwing Duck bounced off the floor before getting to the tracks, then the grappling hook started winding up. Donald darted after it, by the mechanism was too fast, leaving him starring at Darkwing Duck, hanging from the ceiling.

"Don't worry good citizen. Gizmoduck will save you!" Gladstone declared, guiding his toy onto the train track and scooping up the small doll. Gladstone smirked at Donald, but Donald sniggered.

Gladstone looked back, and quickly hit several buttons on the remote control. Whatever he was trying to do, didn't work.

Gizmoduck was struck, he couldn't get back over the track, and was left trying to stay ahead of the train. "Um… a little help?"

"Can I help?" Fethry asked, tugging on Donald's shirt, and carrying his toy tucked in the other arm.

"Nuh uh." Donald said, "Gladstone has to rescue himself. He didn't want our help."

"Guys! That's not fair! I don't wanna get run over!" Gladstone said, barely looking up from his frantic race against the toy.

"Sorry Gladstone, can't help, Darkwing is awaiting his moment." Donald pointed up, where his toy was clinging to the light fixture, and not coming back down.

"Della!" Gladstone yelled.

"Alright alright!" Della yelled back, her helicopter deviating from it's current flight path, weaving in and out of Christmas decorations, "Launchpad McQuack to the rescue!"

She aimed the helicopter at the lights, knocking off Darkwing Duck, the toy falling and landing on Donald's head. "Oops! Sorry Donald!"

Donald rubbed his head, glad that at least it hadn't landed on Fethry, watching as Della crashed into Gizmoduck and sending the toy tumbling over the floor before it righted itself.

The helicopter wasn't so fortunate, clipping the toy train and spinning out of control. It crashed into the Christmas tree and went clunk as it fell to the ground, the whirl of the motors dying.

Della rushed over. "No, no, no, no! Be okay, be okay!" She picked up the toy, brushing off pine needles. The toy remained silent.

"Professor!" Della yelled, running out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, nothing was stirring, not even a mouse.

Except…

Down in the living room, a rat hummed tunelessly as he carefully unscrewed Christmas lights. "Don't worry my darlings! I shall set you free from this terrible chain gang!"

Except…

A wheeled duck slipped out of a child's hand, springing upright and weaving back and forth over the bedsheets as he tried to find his balance, only to drop off the edge with a thud. "I'm okay ma!"

Except…

A small duck carefully took aim with his grappling hook, as he peered into the deep darkness of the bedroom. "Don't worry Launchpad! I'm coming to save you!"

Except…

On a work table, another duck grumbled lightheartedly as he poked and prodded his helicopter. Trying to find the problem with the rotors.

"The brave hero surveys the dark expanse, wary of the giants that inhabit this strange land." Darkwing narrated as he darted from doorway to doorway. "Seeking his lost companion despite the many dangers!"

The house creaked as it settled, and Darkwing jumped and rolled, his cloak wrapping around him as he leapt out of the moonlit landing behind a chest of draws.

He poked his head out, and laughed nervously to himself. "The hero bravely stalks the night." He reminded himself, sneaking along the landing.

"Now where would they have put the Professor…" Darkwing wondered, poking his head under another door to see if he could spy the somewhat familiar luggage.

"Ah ha!" He spied the Professor's dressing gown hanging on the back of a chair, and wiggled beneath the door. His cape caught, and Darkwing squeaked as his slightly round figure popped out from beneath the door. He tugged on the cape, and flinched as he heard the fabric tear.

He frowned and inched his way into the moonlight, holding his cape up to the light. He ran his hand over the fabric, and sighed in relief, the cape had only snagged. He pulled it straight and tossed it back over his shoulder.

"Now where would he be hiding…" Darkwing gazed around the room.

"DW!" Launchpad yelled from on top the vanity table, his red hair made dark in the moonlight. "You came!"

"The hero must come, when danger calls!" Darkwing said, surveying the room for anything he could use his grappling hook on.

He spotted a lamp attached to the top of the vanity table's mirror, and took careful aim, the hook latching on and away he went!

He clipped the table, but his quick reaction had him bouncing and swinging from the lamp, only to get squeezed half to death by Launchpad.

The grappling hook let go, and wound itself back in.

"Alright, alright, enough already!" Darkwing said.

The lights flickered. Then it went dark again.

They both looked up.

"Oh no." Launchpad said.

"Megavolt!" Darkwing exclaimed.

Gizmoduck tumbled down the stairs, whirling back and forth in distress. "Oh dear, oh blathering blatherskite!" He tried to jump up the step again, and accidentally fell down another couple of steps when he bounced off and couldn't control his landing.

He sighed. "It seems the only way is down." He declared.

He swung himself over the edge, in the vague hope of being quieter.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He landed at the bottom of the stairs, head whirling after going heads over wheels.

The lights flickered on. Gizmoduck yelped, and dived under the coat rack, before the lights flickered off again. He peered out from beneath a heavy brown coat, "Megavolt!" He hissed, rocking slightly as he whirled forward.

"Halt evil doer!" He declared loudly, rolling into the living room.

Megavolt looked up from his bag of Christmas Lights.

"You can't stop me!" He grabbed the bag and ran for it.

"Hey! Come back here!" Gizmoduck yelped, speeding after him and growling as the rat bounced around the room, easily climbing up the furniture.

Megavolt poked his tongue out at Gizmoduck from the safety of the sideboard, while Gizmoduck could do nothing but circle around him in figures of eight.

Then a grappling hook shot out from the doorway, latching onto the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"I am the terror!" Darkwing exclaimed, swinging into action, and landing on the sideboard.

Megavolt screamed and leapt to the nearest chair, scrambling up the back and checking in the light bulbs he was rescuing.

"Darkwing Dingbomb!" Megavolt hissed.

"Give it up Megavolt!" Darkwing declared, "You can't win this!"

The lights flickered again.

"And stop that! You'll wake someone up!" Gizmoduck whined.

"I'm not going back! That kid's a menace! He's already broken five crayons! What do you think he's gonna do to me?"

Then he squeaked as Launchpad tackled him from behind. Darkwing leapt from the sideboard and grabbed the bag of light bulbs.

"Judging by this afternoon, he's gonna carry you everywhere." Launchpad said.

"Well…"

"Hey, Gizmogeek, think you could put these back on the tree?" Darkwing asked, holding the bag out.

"It would be my pleasure!" Gizmoduck said, catching the bag as it dropped.

"Great, then we can get back upstairs before the kids notice we're gone."

* * *

A/N and so we come to an end. For some reason I'm rather fond of this story, so it would take very little encouragement for me to continue with a few oneshots featuring the further adventures of the kids and their toys.


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